Life After
by Lily Hanson
Summary: What do Rangers do once they've saved the world?
1. The Best Day Ever

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Dino Charge. This story is fan-made._

While the city was still standing, driving back into it was still grim. Mr. Fisher had never seen it so barren.

Two Silver Guardians had come to his hotel room to let him and his family know that the battle was over. They informed him that the whole fight seemed to center only on the museum, so they had a home to return to, making them very fortunate already. They also shared with him that all the Rangers had lived.

The Silver Guardians, Troy and Rebecca, had offered to drive him and his family back, but Mr. Fisher politely declined. He was more than capable of taking his family back himself. So he packed up the car and drove into the city.

It seemed no one else had gotten the message that it was safe to return home. Theirs was the only car on the road. He couldn't blame the other people. Had he not gotten word from Silver Guardians that it was safe to go back, he would have given himself a few days still, just to be safe.

He didn't go straight home. Instead, he pulled into the museum parking lot, or what was left of it. The building was barely standing, and the ones nearby also had some structural damage. But that was the worst of it.

"You're sure they mentioned all of them survived?" Mrs. Fisher asked her husband, seeing the museum in ruins. "She said ten Rangers?"

"I asked her twice."

"I don't mean to be rude but she was blind. Could she have been wrong?"

"She said she spoke to the Rangers," Mr. Fisher said. "It's not like she counted them herself."

"It's just... we haven't heard from Kendall or Jeremy yet. You'd think if the fight was over, they would have been the ones to let us know. Not some... cops."

"They're alive, honey," Mr. Fisher assured his wife, but he had the same doubts.

"Where would they be?" Tracey asked, coming around from the other side of the car, checking in the windows to be sure Anna and Cammy were both still asleep. To get them feeling safe enough to shut their eyes, she had told them she received a text from Jeremy assuring them that all the Rangers were okay. She didn't want to have to admit to her daughter and Cammy that she had lied. "If the museum is like this..."

"It's a big city, but there isn't anyone else here," Mr. Fisher said. "So we'll check out the hospital next."

"The hospital?"

"They haven't come out of this unscathed, and the hospital would have the supplies they need," Mr. Fisher reasoned. "If not, we check the stores. They'll need food and water."

"But they are alive, right?"

"She told me all ten Rangers lived," Mr. Fisher said. "We're going to believe her until we see for ourselves that they didn't."

Tracey nodded her head and got back into the car with the girls. Mr. Fisher gave his wife a little smile before she headed around to the other side. Mr. Fisher took a deep breath before getting into the driver's seat. It was hard, but he wasn't about to give up hope yet.

-Dino-Charge-

All the Rangers got the okay from Dr. Mitchell. They were alive, and all things considered, they were doing well. James had his arm in a sling, but was more worried about how he would be reunited with his wife than he was about his broken arm. Tyler had assured him that since Fury and the other monsters were gone, they could tell her the truth about what happened. He promised to help his father, because he was sure his mother wouldn't believe him right away. Since between them, the worst of their injuries was a broken arm, they decided to head home to recover. They said goodbye to their friends and teammates. Shelby promised, once she explained everything to her parents, that she would catch up with Tyler.

She assumed since the city had been evacuated, that her parents would have heard of the attacks by now on the news and they would be coming home to make sure she was okay. They had to be worried about her. With a limp, she headed out to meet with them at the airport in Angel Grove, wanting to calm their fears as soon as possible.

Prince Phillip knew he had a duty to his country, and since he had been given the okay to head home, he thought it was best he get back. Though his country was barely larger than the city of Amber Beach, it would make headlines if it was discovered that he was in Amber Beach at the time of the attacks. Ivan insisted on going with him. Since Sledge and his monsters was gone, his next duty as a knight would be to return to his old assignment and protect the royal family of Zandar.

Riley was also clear to leave and, like Shelby, knew that his family would be worried about him. He wanted to get home quickly so he could put their minds at ease.

It was happening so suddenly, but as the Rangers said their goodbyes, they all promised to visit again soon. While Kendall hated to see her friends leave her, she did understand that they all had family that they missed, and going home would be the best way for them to recover.

Chase walked over to her with a glass of water while Jeremy and Koda were at the front door of her house, saying goodbye to Dr. Mitchell and thanking her for her help. Kendall took the glass from Chase with a sad smile.

"When are you headed back to New Zealand?"

"Can't push it off for too long," Chase said. "By now mum and Chloe have certainly heard of what happened her and are going to worry until they see me. Best I head home, right?"

"I get it."

"I'll be back," Chase smiled to her. "I'll only be gone a month. Long enough for Mum and Chloe to get their fill, and to realize I'm a bit of a pain to have around the house. Then I'll be getting the first plane back home."

"Back home? But you'll be in New Zealand."

"And I love my country. I miss it," Chase nodded, "But... Amber Beach has kind of become home for me now."

"It has."

"It's where you are," Chase smiled. "And mum and Chloe already kind of know that this is where I want to be. They've come to terms with it already. Besides, I can't ask you to leave here."

"You don't have to settle on staying here right now. We can figure something out."

"Kendall, this is my home now," Chase said. "I want to be wherever you are. I've made that decision for myself already."

"You're going to stay here?"

"This city's not too bad, especially since we've finally gotten rid of that monster issue," Chase chuckled. "Besides, as long as mum and Chloe can visit at least a few times a year, I really have nothing to complain about."

"Whenever you want," Kendall smiled to Chase and pulled him in for a kiss. Chase winced a little as she grabbed him. Kendall flinched. "I'm sorry! I forgot..."

"It's fine," Chase chuckled. "Bruises heal."

"So," Jeremy announced as he came into the kitchen, breaking up the kiss between Chase and Kendall, "Is it too soon to ask about work?"

"I thought Dr. Mitchell told you to take it easy for a few weeks," Kendall frowned. "What work could you possibly have to do?"

"The bills don't pay themselves you know," Jeremy said. "Besides, when I finally see Anna again, I really want to spoil her."

"In case you didn't notice, that building that fell on top of us was my museum," Kendall reminded her brother. "I don't think I'll be able to keep anyone employed for a while."

"What we going to do about museum?" Koda asked. "How long it take to fix?"

"A long time," Chase told the caveman.

"You can stay with me as long as you need, Koda," Kendall promised him. She did hate that while everyone else got to leave to see their family, Koda was still stuck here in Amber Beach, a hundred thousand years away from his family. The least she could do for him, especially since his caves had been destroyed along with her museum and lab, was let him stay with her.

"Thank you," Koda said then turned to the front door as he heard a noise from the driveway. Walking over to the window, he peeked outside and saw the Fishers climbing out of their car. "Kendall, Jeremy," he called to them. The front door opened and Mrs. Fisher was the first to walk in. She looked around, saw Koda first and breathed a sigh of relief. She rushed over to him, taking him in a tight hug, "Oh thank god!"

Koda wasn't sure why she was hugging him when her children were just over in the kitchen, but he did find he enjoyed the embrace. It made him feel warm to know that there was someone beyond his teammates who was glad to see he had lived.

"Mom?" Jeremy called out as he walked over. Seeing his mother, he moved a little faster and took her in his arms, spinning her around. Mrs. Fisher almost burst into tears on the spot when she saw her son. A huge wave of relief washed over her. When Jeremy set her down, she looked him over quickly, feeling that sense of dread return when she saw a large bump on his head, as well as the numerous bruises, cuts and burns that covered his body.

"It looks worse than it feels," Jeremy assured his mother. "The doctor said I would be fine. As long I keep them clean and take it easy."

He knew his mother would still worry, but at least he was able to tell her that he was okay. She smiled at him, hugged him once more then let go when she heard a little voice behind her.

"Daddy!"

"Baby!" Jeremy knelt down and caught his daughter in his arms. He squeezed her tight, letting out a few tears of his own. When Tracey followed behind Anna, Jeremy pulled her in as well. He knew they had been the ones worried about him, but he was so glad he got the chance to see them again. He had had his doubts he would be alive for this moment.

Mrs. Fisher watched the reunion for a short moment then looked to Koda, "Kendall...?"

"In kitchen," Koda said. Mrs. Fisher felt that feeling of dread return to her. Kendall hadn't rushed out to see her like Jeremy had. She had no idea what it meant, but not a single thought of hers was good news. She walked into the kitchen, but Kendall wasn't there.

"Kendall?" she called out.

"Yeah?" Mrs. Fisher jumped hearing her daughter's voice behind her, and turned around to see Kendall standing in front of the cupboard by the sink. She breathed a sigh of relief, "You're alive."

"Sorry," Kendall said. "I'd have come out earlier but I didn't want the girls finding this," Kendall pointed to the glass in her hand, inside was the dark energem. "Gia and Jordan found it when they went back to assess the damage in the museum. Until I know what to do with it, it's best kept out of little hands."

"Well, set it down then," Mrs. Fisher insisted. Kendall set the glass with the dark energem in a cupboard, on a shelf she could barely reach herself then turned around only to be swallowed in her mother's arms.

"Okay..."

"I was worried sick," Mrs. Fisher said, then looked her daughter once over, just like she had done with Jeremy. Kendall also had some bruises, scratches and burns, but there was one especially that seemed to trouble Mrs. Fisher. It appeared to start at the base of Kendall's neck and go down her shirt. "Turn around."

"But..."

"I said turn around."

"Dr. Mitchell's already treated it," Kendall said, but turned her back to her mother and lifted her shirt, showing the bandages that covered her back. "My suit protected me from the worst of it."

"Does it hurt?"

"I'm fine."

"Kendall this doesn't look fine to me. Have you taken anything for it? Did the doctor leave you anything to help with the pain or to keep it clean or..."

"Seriously, mom, it's fine," Kendall said as she turned back to face her mother and pulled her shirt back down. "Like I said, the suit took the worst of it. I'll be okay."

"I... I... you..." Mrs. Fisher stammered for a moment while Kendall looked to her strangely. Mrs. Fisher explained, "You... You called me mom."

"Oh... uh," Kendall's face turned bright red and she looked away, "I mean... Bella, I guess it just slipped out..."

"No, no, mom is good," Mrs. Fisher smiled. "I mean, if you... if you want to start that, I'm happy to hear it."

Kendall was still red. She hadn't meant to say it. She never planned on calling her parents mom or dad, but she had spent the whole time they were gone telling herself she couldn't wait to see her mother and father again that something in her brain must have switched.

"Where is she?" Mr. Fisher asked, coming into the kitchen in a rush. When Kendall saw him she smiled.

"Dad!" again, it slipped out. Her face turned a brighter shade of red, though it seemed as though her father didn't notice. He swallowed her in a tight hug and didn't say a word about it. Relief must have come over him.

Over her shoulder, however, Mr. Fisher had heard what Kendall say, and his eyes widened as he looked to his wife. Mrs. Fisher silently mouthed to him not to make a big deal of it.

"Move it! Get out of the way!" Mr. Fisher's reunion was cut short when a strong but small pair of arms pulled him away from Kendall. Dinosaur plush toys hit his feet as he watched Cammy barrel into Kendall's arms. Kendall winced at her sister's tight grip, which didn't go unnoticed by both her parents, but the smile on both their daughters' face told them to let them be.

"You did it!" Cammy cheered and Kendall mustered up the strength to push past the pain and lift her sister into her arms.

"We did," Kendall nodded. "Sledge, Snide, Fury, they're all gone. No more monsters."

"And you're all alive!" Cammy smiled. "All of you! Right? Where is everyone else?"

"They have their own families to see," Kendall explained to Cammy, "But we're all alive. We all survived."

"Best day ever!" Cammy cheered again and hugged her sister tight once more. Kendall kissed the side of her head.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Best day ever."


	2. Saying Goodbye

Kendall sighed loudly as she checked the status of the museum. Major repairs were in order, if not a complete reconstruction. While running a museum had never been where she imagined her life would take her, she had grown to love her business and her job there. She hoped that now that she wasn't distracted with finding and protecting ten energems, she could focus more time on running the museum the way it deserved.

But first, she needed to get it running again. Unfortunately, it was going to cost her about everything she had. Sledge and his crew had destroyed everything, from the exhibits to the structure of the building itself.

Her Ranger employees had been generous enough not to accept the paid vacation time Kendall promised them while she closed the museum. Her other employees weren't as thoughtful. Kendall couldn't blame them, though. Without a job to come back to as they returned after the evacuation, they were going to need some money to come in to keep them going until they found somewhere new to work. Kendall had to consider payment for all of those employees. She did count herself lucky that they all seemed to agree that a couple months would be enough. Kendall could at least take comfort in the fact that she could budget out exactly what she owed everyone.

"Maybe we could start small?" Chase suggested as he walked into her bedroom with a suitcase. It was just a few hours until his flight and he had to pack up enough to get him through a month in New Zealand. He set his suitcase on the bed and started to toss some clothes into it. "Find a few of the artifacts that survived and..."

"The whole museum is gone," Kendall shook her head. "All we've got are a couple of teeth and the hip bone of a triceratops. I can't exactly start charging people for that."

"Think you might want to teach?" Chase offered. "Amber Beach University could use a dino expert like you to teach some of their classes. I'll bet they'd hire you."

"I don't think I make the best teacher," Kendall said. Chase nodded and sighed. He walked to the bathroom and took his toothbrush.

"Well, does it have to be dinosaurs?" he asked her.

"What else could I do? The natural history museum of Power Rangers?"

"Hey, that would be sweet!"

"Chase, I was kidding."

"But it's an awesome idea," Chase smiled. He closed up his suitcase, "Think about it, we've got enough of our stuff saved from the fight that we could open up something small and the fact that it would be build on the place where we had our final battle would be enough for people to want to pay already. All the artifacts would be free because you own them already, and as you bring in more money to expand, we can ask past teams to donate what they can."

"And how exactly would we explain to the public how we obtain Ranger artifacts without revealing our own identities?"

"Maybe we could?"

"Telling our families is one thing," Kendall shook her head. "Telling the world we're responsible for what happened to the city is asking for trouble."

"Sledge is responsible."

"They'll still blame us," Kendall said. "We're lucky the city wasn't left in ruins, that it was just the museum, but how many people are going to milk us for all we're worth to pay for therapy and any minor repairs. The city itself might come after us. I may be told that I have to pay to rebuild the museum and the surrounding streets and businesses."

"Okay, not a great idea, but I still think opening a Ranger museum would be amazing," Chase said. "And we can just explain our stuff as donations from the Rangers to make up for what happened. People would buy that, right?"

"Maybe..."

"Think about it," Chase said and kissed her. "We can talk about it more when I get back."

Kendall nodded her head, set her laptop aside and walked with Chase to the door.

"Say hi to your mom and Chloe for me," Kendall told Chase. "And let them know they are welcome anytime."

"I will."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come?" Kendall asked. Chase shook his head.

"I'm about to tell them why I spent so long overseas," Chase said. "And I'm about to confirm with them that I'll be moving here for good. I think they'll both be glad to have me to themselves for a while. Besides, Cammy and Anna sure seem glad they'll get to spend some time with you."

Kendall nodded her head and glanced to the back of the house, where Cammy and Anna were at the kitchen table colouring together. Their parents were out at the store on a mission to restock the fridge. Since coming back to the city, Mr. and Mrs. Fisher had been very adamant about caring for their children. Nothing was too much.

"It'll be a quick month," Chase promised her. "And when I get back, it'll be like I never left."

Kendall nodded her head. Chase gave her one final kiss and then turned to the door.

"Cab's here. I better go. I love you."

"I love you too," Kendall smiled. Chase then pointed to the kitchen.

"Uh, Koda's trying to eat the crayons again."

"What?" Kendall turned around and sighed loudly when she spotted the caveman who had joined the young girls in their colouring, but had decided to try and taste the crayons again. "Koda, it says grape because it's purple, not because it tastes like grapes!"

"I love you!" Chase called out to her one more time. Kendall called it back as he closed the door and walked out.

Inside the kitchen, Koda spit out the pieces of the waxy crayon while the girls chuckled.

"This gross," he said. "Not tastes like grapes at all!"

"You really need to stop putting things in your mouth to taste," Kendall shook her head. "Most things are not edible Koda."

"How I supposed to know?" Koda protested and frowned at the girls when they continued to giggle. "It say grape."

"It's a fun way of saying purple."

"Purple is fun way of saying purple," Koda stated. "Grape is fun way of saying little purple food ball you eat."

"Just don't eat the crayons, Koda," Kendall said and sat down at the table with him and the girls to watch them colour. After a while, she picked up a sheet of paper and a few crayons and joined them.


	3. Checkmate

The city of Amber Beach was starting to come back to life, and Kendall was taking advantage. Since the museum was far from being able to open again and she had no idea what to do with herself until she could get the money to start the rebuild, she had plenty of time off. She wanted to use that time to start bonding with her family. Her day for mother-daughter bonding brought her to a coffee shop.

She liked the feeling of spending time with family. She liked the support she felt from the people who knew and loved her. She liked knowing that when she needed them, she could count on their help. She also liked feeling wanted. Her parents, her brother, sisters and niece needed her love and affection too. She wouldn't disappoint.

"You pick out a table," Mrs. Fisher said. "I'll get the first cup."

Kendall gave a little nod. She knew there was no sense in arguing with her mother. When Bella Fisher had her mind set on treating her children to anything, nothing, not even a price tag, would stop her. Kendall would just have to insist on getting the second round.

While she waited for her mother to return with their order, she picked out a table by the window. It would allow them the opportunity to people-watch while they drank. It was one of her mother's favourite pass times. Kendall's eyes scanned the window tables, trying to find one that was appropriately sized for the two of them as well as cleaned. Her eyes fell on one table, but it was occupied by a woman Kendall recognized. She had to blink, removed her glasses and cleaned them before she looked again.

"Where are we sitting?" her mother asked just as Kendall put her glasses back on her face and saw the woman was no longer at the table. Frowning deeply, Kendall shrugged her shoulders and pointed to the same table.

"There, I guess."

"Looks good," Mrs. Fisher brought the two cups of coffee over and sat in the chair where Kendall had seen the woman. The purple Ranger glanced around the coffee shop, thinking maybe the woman had gotten up, but she and her mother were the only two customers. Kendall sat down across from her mother and tried to forget what she had seen.

-Dino-Charge-

"Checkmate," Cammy called out, looking to her brother with a smug look on her face. Jeremy frowned deeply and shook his head.

"You can't call checkmate after every turn," he said. "You're nowhere near my king."

"But that's how you win," Cammy frowned. "You have to call checkmate."

"When you're threatening my king," Jeremy explained before he had to pause the game to answer a phone call. Anna and Tracey were out shopping for furniture since they had decided to move back to be closer to Jeremy's family. The move had been rather sudden, with Tracey quitting her job before she had anything lined up in Amber Beach and Jeremy having quit before becoming a Ranger. Since the city was still bouncing back from Sledge's final attack, there weren't many places looking to employ, and Jeremy and Tracey knew it would be some time still before they would have a steady income. Fortunately, Kendall had plenty of room for them in her house. Jeremy already had a room of his own and Anna would be staying in the bedroom reserved for Cammy. The girls were more than happy to share a room. However, they needed furniture. Anna and Cammy wouldn't be happy sharing a single bed for long.

It seemed Tracey was calling to get some measurements, as Cammy watched Jeremy leave their game of chess, grab a measuring tape and walk upstairs. She waited for him to come back out of the room, discuss with Tracey that he preferred the pink duvet that she and Anna were considering over the green one and then hung up the phone after promising to help set up the room as soon as they got back. Jeremy sat back down at the table and started to ponder his next move while Cammy watched him.

"How long did it take you to love Anna?" Cammy asked as Jeremy moved his rook. He glanced to her with a curious frown.

"Excuse me?"

Mom said some dads need time to fall in love with their kids. She said dad didn't give himself enough time before he left and that's why he doesn't care about me. How long did it take you?"

Jeremy sighed deeply and looked around the room. He knew he was home alone with his sister, but he wished there was someone else who could handle this question. However, his mother and Kendall weren't expected home for another hour or so, and Anna and Tracey would be out shopping for a while still.

He wasn't sure if he should answer with the truth, or if Cammy needed his answer to be sugar coated. The truth was, he had loved Anna since before she was conceived. He and Tracey wanted to have a baby, and while they were lucky they didn't have to wait long, Jeremy had been in love with his child from the moment he realized he was ready to be a father. He wasn't sure Cammy needed to hear that answer, but he was also scared she would know he was lying.

"What makes you ask?" he asked in hopes of buying a little more time to figure out what to do.

"You always do stuff for Anna," Cammy said and moved her queen. "You like to be with her and help her and stuff. My dad didn't even want to meet me."

"You have a dad who wants to do all of that stuff with you," Jeremy told her. "And he's a really great dad."

"I know," Cammy nodded. "But sometimes... I wonder. I wonder how long my dad would have had to stay before he liked me. Kendall liked me almost right away, and we're not even related by blood."

"Blood doesn't mean much to some people," Jeremy said. "Especially in this family. You know that, Cam."

"Yeah, I guess," Cammy sighed.

"You were meant to find this family. It was just a rough start to get here. As for your father, well, he wasn't meant to be your dad. Fate removed him quickly."

"He tried to meet me once," Cammy said. "He showed up at the museum. Kendall, Bella and Jon all met him. He was going to meet me, but he didn't show up."

"Cammy..."

"He had a job," Cammy said. "Do you think he wonders about me too... sometimes?"

Jeremy really wished Kendall was home to tackle these questions. The fact was that he couldn't relate to Cammy's experiences. He didn't know what it was like to have a biological father he didn't know. He didn't know how it felt to have a piece of his identity, even a small one, that was out of his reach. Any questions he had about where he came from or about how much his parents loved him had always been readily available to answer.

He had to do his very best and hope Kendall could fill in the gaps later.

"You're a pretty amazing kid," Jeremy smiled. "He knows you're out here. I'll bet from time to time, he does wonder about things being different."

"Do you think he cares?" Cammy asked. "Like, if he knows I live here, and then heard about Sledge and all those monsters and stuff, do you think he wonders if I survived or not?"

"I'd like to think so," Jeremy nodded.

"Do you think... it would be okay if I tried to meet him again?"

"Uh..."

"I know he didn't want to last time but... maybe if you take me to go see him, he'll change his mind. Like maybe if he sees me, then he'll want to talk to me a little."

"Why don't you talk to mom, dad and Kendall when they get home?"

"Can you talk to them for me?" Cammy asked.

"Uh... today?" Jeremy asked and rubbed the back of his neck. "I... I promised Anna I would help her decorate your room."

"All day?"

"I..."

"Please," Cammy begged. Jeremy sighed.

"You really need me to do this?"

"Uh huh."

Jeremy breathed out and nodded his head. "Okay. Alright, I'll do it. But only if this is something you really, absolutely think will be for the best for you."

"I do," Cammy nodded. "I want to know who my dad is, even if he's not a good dad."

"Alright," Jeremy promised. "Fine. I'll talk to them for you."

"Yes," Cammy smiled up at Jeremy. "You're the best brother ever."

"I'm your only brother."

"So that makes you the best," Cammy smiled. "But, you never did answer my question, you know. When did you fall in love with Anna?"

Jeremy turned red. He thought for sure he had gotten away from that question. He glanced down at the game board, looking for another distraction and he found it. He moved his knight.

"Checkmate."

"No!"


	4. Kendall's Dream

Jeremy sat with the other adults shortly after Anna and Cammy were tucked in bed. He figured this would be the best time to bring up Cammy's request while the home was filled with people who wanted the best for her. However, he was quick to see that this request wasn't going to be a simple one.

"He's had the chance to meet her before," Mr. Fisher pointed out. "He decided at the last minute not to come. Why should he get another chance?"

"Cammy's the one asking for it," Mrs. Fisher reminded her husband. "Last time, he wanted to speak with her."

"If he turned her down when it was his choice, who's to say he's even going to agree to another meeting?" Tracey asked. "This obviously isn't something he cares about, and Cammy's the one taking the risk here."

"But she is asking," Mrs. Fisher stated again. "It's clear she wants to meet her father."

"But does she understand what's at stake here?" Mr. Fisher asked and turned to Jeremy, who since mentioning Cammy's request had been silent. "Have you explained to her..."

"I didn't say anything really," Jeremy shook his head. "I don't really know what I'm talking about here."

"Does she know this could end... not in the way she's hoping?" Tracey asked. "I don't know much about this either but from what I do know, dads who leave usually don't come back again."

"He wanted to speak with her once already and blew it," Mr. Fisher shook his head. "I'm not giving him another chance."

"Jon, dear, Andrew isn't the one asking for this," Mrs. Fisher reminded her husband again. "Cammy is the one who asked. Unprompted; right, Jeremy?"

"It was pretty out of the blue," Jeremy nodded his head. "But she seemed like she really wanted to meet him. Even if he wasn't nice, she said."

"Did she say why?"

"She just wonders," Jeremy answered. Mr. Fisher stroked his chin then turned to Kendall, who like her brother had been silent for most of the conversation.

"Any thoughts?"

"She's always going to wonder," Kendall stated.

"Is that worse than her hopes being crushed?" Tracey asked.

"It could be," Kendall nodded her head. "The more she wonders, the more time she'll have to imagine an idyllic reunion between herself and her father. And if he ever does turn up again, for any reason, she'll only find herself disappointed. If she's got to be crushed, now is better."

"You think?"

"Of course, there is the chance that this reunion stays in her head," Kendall said. "She may never bump into her father like I did. He may never get the chance to hurt her again if we say no to this."

"So we take that chance," Mr. Fisher said, but he noticed the hesitant look on his daughter's face, "Or..."

"I could take her," Kendall suggested.

"You think this is a good idea?"

"I think this is a bad idea no matter what we do," Kendall said. "But Cammy is... determined. She might decide to find him herself one day."

"We did agree we would be supportive parents," Mrs. Fisher said to her husband, "Especially under these circumstances. As difficult as it may be, a child deserves to know where she comes from."

"I just... It doesn't feel right letting her go, knowing she might be hurt."

"We'll make the day fun," Kendall said. "I can bring Koda along and schedule other things to do that might be more of a highlight for her than meeting her father. If he disappoints, she'll still have a good day."

"You think that'll work?" Tracey asked.

"I think it's better than letting her wonder," Kendall nodded and looked around the room to see the others agreed. It was a difficult choice, but since it was Cammy who was asking for the meeting, and she did deserve to get to know her father, there was really nothing else that could be decided.

After the discussion, Mr. and Mrs. Fisher headed home. Kendall was sure they would continue to discuss what they believed was best for Cammy, but they knew they weren't going to argue with Kendall's decision. While they were Cammy's parents and had to act in her best interest at least until she was of age to do so herself, they knew where Kendall would have a bit more pull with the little girl. Their similar experiences meant Kendall was better prepared to deal with some of the tougher questions and hard decisions. She knew how Cammy would feel. She knew what the little girl would need to hear or do in order to continue growing.

Kendall could only hope she was making the right call, and continued to wonder after saying goodnight to her brother and sister-in-law. She headed up to her room and crawled into bed. She pulled over her laptop from her nightstand and tried to get in a little work before she fell asleep.

When she woke up, she pushed her laptop off her stomach and glanced around the dark room. She assumed it was still the middle of the night, because her curtains were wide open and her room was still dark. With a groan, she got up to close them, but as she lifted herself from her bed, she heard a voice speak to her.

"So, you traded up, huh?"

Kendall jumped, turned to the source of the voice and then fumbled to reach for her glasses. When she put them on, she still couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her mother, there, seated at the end of the bed, acting just like she hadn't died thirteen years before.

"Mom?"

"New house, new town, new family," her mother listed off.

"What?" Kendall asked, not because she didn't hear, but because this was her mother speaking to her. An impossible sight, even with all the crazy things she had seen and done as a Ranger.

"Do you really deserve them?" her mother asked.

"I... you're dead."

"So I'm replaceable?"

"This isn't happening," Kendall shook her head and crawled back into bed. She didn't care that her curtains were still open. She had to get back to sleep, so she could wake up out of this... whatever this was.

Her mother lay next to her, "I did try my best. You know that."

Kendall ignored her. Her mother moved in closer.

"I know I wasn't the best mom out there. I know there were some things I could work on, but I did my best with the hand that was dealt to me. You're throwing that all away."

Kendall rolled over. This had to be a dream or nightmare or something other than reality.

"Now you're replacing me with this? With them? Kendall, you're my daughter. I loved you."

"Mom, please."

"Don't forget about me," her mother begged her. "Please, Kendall. Don't replace me with these people. I know they seem perfect but... I promise, I tried."

"Mom..."

"I tried," her mother whispered and touched her face. Just like that, Kendall was pulled from her sleep. She found herself in bed, alone, with her laptop on her stomach and the curtains still open. She looked to the foot of her bed, but her mother wasn't in sight. She let out a heavy sigh and rubbed her face in her hands. As she decided to splash some water on her face, somewhat afraid to fall back to sleep again, her bedroom door opened slightly. With a frown, she looked to the person glancing it. For their sake, it had better be Cammy with a nightmare.

Tracey poked her head into the room, and then seemed embarrassed when she realized she had been caught. She opened the door wider to let herself in and then started to explain, "I heard someone calling mom. I thought it was Anna until I walked by your room and... I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Fine."

"I'm good with nightmares," Tracey said. "If you want to talk about it."

"I'm..." Kendall was about to refuse, but Tracey was already in her room. She wasn't about to wake up her brother for a nightmare, and it didn't seem like something she would want to bring up with her parents in the morning. If she was going to talk about it, now would be the time.

And talking about her problems had helped in the past. It was much better than coping with them by herself.

"It was about mom. My mom," she clarified. Though Tracey was aware of her upbringing, she had grown up in a traditional, nuclear family. Kendall had found that sometimes, it helped to be specific. "It felt real, even though I knew it couldn't be."

"Dead parents popping up, huh?" Tracey asked. "I don't have any experience in that department yet, but when my aunt died, my cousin saw her in his dreams for months. Said it made it harder to get up every morning."

"I couldn't wait to get up."

"Guilty dream?" Tracey asked and Kendall looked to her with confusion. She chuckled, "That's how I feel with my parents when I'm awake. Apparently, calling them twice a week isn't keeping in touch. God forbid they pick up the phone, though."

"This happens to you?"

"All the time in my waking life," Tracey nodded. "That's my experience with parents at least. Either you love them or they drive you nuts or both. I guess yours is a little more complicated."

"Mom kept reminding me that she tried her best," Kendall stated. "She asked me not to forget about her."

"You're too sciency to believe she was actually talking to you, right?" Tracey asked and when Kendall gave her a disbelieving look she nodded her head, "I've just got to know what I'm working with. If you don't think she's speaking from beyond the grave, maybe these are your own thoughts coming out. Have you done anything that you think your mother might not be proud of?"

Kendall shrugged her shoulders. Her mother had never said one way or the other if she was proud of anything Kendall did. She was either too busy, or too drunk to know what she was saying. Kendall could have committed a murder and her mother wouldn't have bat an eyelash either way.

"Well, is this the only time your mother appeared in a dream like this?" Tracey asked. Kendall thought for a moment. Her initial answer was going to be yes, but then she remembered seeing her mother at the coffee shop when she had been out to lunch with Mrs. Fisher. It had just been brief and she hadn't had much to eat or drink that day, but Kendall had been pretty sure of herself in the moment. Tracey, picking up on Kendall's hesitation, smirked, "You have?"

"Just once. Today at lunch with... Bella."

"You fell asleep?"

"I was awake. I just... thought I saw her. It was definitely a mistake."

"Did she make you feel guilty then?"

"I just saw her. She didn't even see me."

"I think you have a guilty conscious," Tracey said. "About what, I have no idea, but since you don't believe in mothers speaking to you from beyond the grave, that's my best guess for why you had that dream."

"And if I did believe in mothers speaking to me after they were dead?"

"Then I'd say listen to your mother," Tracey shrugged. "As much as I would miss Anna after I died, I doubt I'd visit unless there was something really, really important I needed her to know."

"I don't think mom would visit me," Kendall said.

"Then find out why you're making yourself feel guilty and these dreams will go away," Tracey suggested. "Though, if it means anything, I think, whatever it is, you're just being hard on yourself."

"You do?"

"You're a good daughter, sister and aunt," Tracey said. "You're also a good person. There isn't anything you should feel guilty about. Your flaw is just that... you're too hard on yourself. Remind yourself that you're not perfect and that you still deserve the best and maybe that'll stop your dreams."

"Dream," Kendall corrected. This wasn't recurring and she didn't want it to start. She hoped that by speaking with Tracey it would be the end of it already. "And thanks."

"No problem. Now get some sleep, alright. Meeting Cammy's father is going to be hard enough on everyone."


	5. Cammy's Meeting

Cammy waited nervously in the car, trying to ignore the looks from Koda and Kendall, who had driven her all the way upstate so she could meet her dad. Kendall knew that he worked as a chef in the restaurant in front of their car and he was likely to be working. She hoped he was. She couldn't imagine dragging Koda and Kendall all this way just to be turned away.

"You don't have to do this," Kendall assured her, while Koda nodded. She reached her hand back to pat Cammy's leg. "It's okay if you changed your mind."

"I want to do this," Cammy said, and it was true. It wasn't long after her father had failed to show up for their last meeting that Cammy started to wonder about him again. However, her newfound family had kept her very busy and very happy. But once Cammy got to see Jeremy with Anna, and how much he loved her, how he kept her safe, helped her grow and answered any questions she had, Cammy really couldn't suppress the nagging feeling that she needed answers from her biological father. She wanted to know why he couldn't step up and if he regretted leaving her.

She wasn't sure what she hoped the answers to those would be. She had thought about it already, and figured being a secret agent might be a good excuse, though there would still be some explaining he would have to do for why he couldn't be around. Kendall had saved the whole world from aliens without completely disappearing.

Cammy really didn't know how she would feel if her father did or didn't regret leaving her. She's be heartbroken if he didn't regret, but maybe also a little relieved that he hadn't tried to stick it out and ended up an awful parent. She'd likely be angry with him if he admitted to regretting leaving her, and happy that he was hurting now as much as it hurt her to wonder about him.

"You just need remember," Koda said with a smile, "You have good family back home. We love you. We take care of you and never leave like him."

"Koda's right," Kendall said. "He may be your father by blood, but you've got a real dad waiting for you back at home. He's the one that counts."

"I think I'm ready," Cammy said and got herself out of the car. Kendall and Koda followed behind. They had promised to let her take the lead and would only jump in if they thought she needed help.

The restaurant looked pretty fancy. Cammy was sure that if she ordered something from the menu, she wasn't going to like it. She doubted they served chicken fingers here. It seemed her father had done well for himself on the surface. She walked up to the man waiting to seat them, who looked a little put off that she was in jeans and sneakers and that Koda had come in with his usual torn clothes and old, worn-in sandals.

"I want to speak to Andrew Holt please," Cammy said and the maitre D gave her a frown.

"I'm sorry, but Chef Holt is very busy preparing for a large party. I'm afraid you're going to have to wait."

"Unless you'd like a lawsuit, you'll make time for us," Kendall said, refusing to let Cammy's attempt stop at the front door. "I'm Kendall Morgan. I believe we have a problem."

"I don't recall..."

"My mother ate here a couple of nights ago and ever since, she's been feeling quite ill. She's quite certain it's food poisoning, but I would like to speak with the chef who served her; just to be sure everything's in order for when we shut this place down."

The maitre D looked to Kendall, and then her company with a scowl.

"I don't believe you have that power," he chuckled. "This is the body guard you've hired. A cave man and a small child?"

"How he know?" Koda whispered to Kendall, who nudged him to be quiet.

"Is that really a risk you want to take?" Kendall asked the maitre D and Cammy had to hide her snicker when she saw Kendall's glare. It was as threatening as anything else Cammy had seen in her life, especially when she knew she had done something wrong. She was sure if Kendall had used it against Sledge, there wouldn't have been any fight for the energems. He would have fled Earth long before ever landing.

"I'll let the chef know you're here," the maitre D said and Kendall thanked him before leading Cammy and Koda over to a table to wait. Koda snuck a menu with him and opened it up at the table, but didn't see anything he recognized.

"What cue-eh-see duh grr-no-you-ille?" he asked. Kendall frowned deeply and glanced at the menu. Koda pointed to the word.

"Cuisses de grenouille," she told him. "Frog legs."

It was Koda's turn to frown while Cammy stuck her tongue out in disgust. Koda shook his head.

"Frog is not very big," he shook his head. "What about S-car-got?"

"Snails," Kendall answered. Cammy hid her face in her arms while Koda's face turned green.

"I no like this food. We stop for burger on way home."

"Promise," Kendall nodded and then recognized the chef coming out of the kitchen. He looked a bit frazzled, but having a kitchen of her own, she knew the job could get a little messy and a little stressful at times. He seemed to recognize her as well and made his way over quickly, offering his hand as he greeted her at the table.

"Ms. Morgan, I wasn't expecting you."

"I'd hope not," she said.

"Is everything alright? With Camille, I mean?" he asked, making Cammy smile a little to hear this. She knew her parents and Kendall had met with him already, and clearly he remembered it. If he was asking about her, it had to mean he cared.

Then she frowned. If he did care, why didn't he ever try again to meet with her?

"Cammy's doing well," Kendall stated. "In fact, she's right here."

Cammy watched her father turn to her with a shocked look. He tried to straighten himself up a little bit, like he wanted to make a good first impression. She figured if he wanted to make a strong first impression, he shouldn't have left her before she was born, but she kept an open mind. She wanted answers. She could tease him later in the car with Kendall and Koda.

"Hi," she said quietly. Her father seemed just as shy,

"Uh... Hi," he said, then sat down opposite from her at the table. "What are you... you came all this way to see me?"

"I wanted to meet you," Cammy said. "Somewhere you wouldn't run away."

"Yeah..." Andrew rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "About that... Camille, I... I guess you want to know why, huh? Can... can she know?" he asked, turning to Kendall and Koda. Kendall gave a nod.

"She's more than old enough."

"Okay, well... what... what did your mother say?"

"A lot," Cammy admitted. "I can't use words like that, though."

"That's fair," Andrew nodded. "Well, uh... where do I start?"

"Why did you leave?"

"I wasn't ready."

"For what?"

"For... for a baby. For responsibility," Andrew said. "Kids are a big deal."

"Kendall wasn't ready," Cammy pointed out. "And she's doing perfect."

Kendall let out a little laugh. Her style of raising Cammy was far from perfect. More like near-drowning.

"Some people are better with kids," Andrew countered, to which Koda laughed, recalling all the times he watched Kendall struggle greatly with children of all ages at the museum. "I just... I didn't want kids. I didn't want to be a dad. I didn't feel like that was the job for me, you know."

"No," Cammy shook her head.

"Your mother and I were never really... that serious. We weren't married; we hadn't discussed anything like this. So when she told me she was pregnant... can I say pregnant?"

"You just did," Cammy said. Andrew turned to Kendall again.

"Does she know...?"

"Yes. Babies grow inside of tummies," Kendall nodded. "How they get there is a mystery the greatest minds are still trying to figure out."

"Okay," Andrew said. "Well, when your mother told me she was pregnant with you, I said I wasn't going to be a dad. And she could do whatever she wanted with you."

"Whatever she wanted?"

"Yeah," Andrew nodded. "I'm pro-choice so if she wanted to keep you, I was cool with that. I just didn't want to be a dad. Adoption, even better. Abortion..."

"What's abortion?"

"We haven't had the abortion talk yet," Kendall said to Andrew. "That will happen when the great minds figure out how babies get inside tummies."

"Oh... okay well, let's just say, I was down for anything, you know?"

"Not anything," Cammy shook her head. "You left."

"I couldn't be a dad. If your mom wanted to be a mom, that's up to her. But... if it makes you feel any better... I did always wonder what happened to you... you know."

"Then how come you left?"

"I told you..."

"No, when you said you wanted to meet me?" Cammy asked. "You... you found Kendall and told her you wanted to meet me. You talked with my parents and did your very best to get them to say yes. And then you couldn't even show up."

"I got a job here," Andrew gestured to the restaurant. "I had to move. There was too much to do."

"You couldn't meet me for five minutes?" Cammy asked.

"I..."

"Why?"

"I freaked out," Andrew admitted. "I know I have a kid out there somewhere and I've gotten used to that feeling but... I was really scared to meet you in person and stuff. At least if I didn't see you, you'd just be... like a part of my imagination, I guess. It's like meeting your favourite celebrity. You know what I mean, right?"

"I wanted to meet you," Cammy said.

"I just thought it would be better if... we didn't meet."

"Better for who?" Cammy asked. Andrew leaned across the table. He tried to touch Cammy's hand but she pulled away from him quickly.

"I'm not dad material, kid. I wish I could have been all those years ago but... I would have just screwed things up, worse than how it all actually turned out. You've got a good family now, though. I met your parents. They seem to really care about you."

"They do."

"They're your family now. Not me. We don't deserve each other, alright? Kids just aren't my thing and you should have a dad who really, really loves you."

"I do."

Andrew reached into his jacket and took out a business card, "I doubt it means much, alright, but... if you ever do have any other questions, you can call me. If you ever just want to talk, I'll... okay, I'll probably just let you down but you do have my number, you know where I work, and I plan on staying here until I retire. If you ever really need me, and I'm just brushing you off or something, send your parents, your sister and your friend here after me. Hopefully, though, by then, I'll have smartened up a bit."

Cammy took the card and crumbled it up in her hand, but she never let it go.

"Until that time comes, if it ever does, just stick with your real family, okay? They've got everything you need. Everything you could ever want. You'll be happy with them, I know it."

Tears brimmed Cammy's eyes. Seeing this, Kendall took her hand and Cammy gave her signal that she was ready to leave.

Koda huffed loudly as he looked to Andrew then tossed the menu down on the table as he stood up.

"Food here not good anyway," he said. "Next time, make mammoth duh grr-no-you-ille. Much more meat. Better for meals. Make you strong."

"What?"

Kendall sighed as she escorted both Cammy and Koda out of the restaurant.

"Mammoth legs," she explained.


	6. From The Grave

Cammy laughed hard as she watched Koda attempt to swing a small mini-putter. After meeting with her father, Kendall had taken them both to mini-golf for a fun game, which on the tenth hole; Koda was still trying to figure out.

Kendall couldn't help but smile seeing Cammy happy, and was glad that squeezing in a trip to see her father between fun events had helped Cammy move past the rejection. While her father did seem to care for her on some level, from Cammy's point of view, he didn't want to be a part of her life and that always hurt. Kendall remembered that feeling very well. She knew how it could cut deep.

Fortunately, she also knew Cammy was going to be okay. She had a family she could trust in, who supported and loved her and who were happy to watch her grow. The pain of being rejected by her father would only burn her for a while before it dulled. Cammy would continue to be a happy little girl.

A sense of relief washed over Kendall as she thought about that. Cammy would be fine. Cammy would live the rest of her life the way it was meant to be lived: in a loving home. Kendall remembered first meeting Cammy, and how she wished the world for the little girl. She wished for Cammy not to know the same pain she had felt, and for Cammy not to make the same mistakes she had made. It seemed her wish had come true, and in the process, Kendall had found her own family and was able to finally connect with them.

As Cammy called her over for her turn, Koda having finally hit the ball with his swing and put it in the hole, Kendall stepped up to putt. She put her purple ball down on the green then glanced at the obstacles before her, trying to find the best path to take. Just because her opponents were a caveman and a nine year old child didn't mean she was going to throw the game. However, as she glanced down the course, she spotted her mother, Mrs. Morgan, sitting on one of the obstacles, watching her with a scowl. Kendall immediately felt like a child being scolded.

"Kendall, come on!" Cammy called out when Kendall took too long for her putt. Kendall could hear her sister's voice, but her gaze remained fixed on her mother, who seemed to pull a bottle of wine out of nowhere, then drink it.

"He left me," she said to Kendall. "Now you. And they wonder why I drink."

"I... I didn't leave," Kendall shook her head. Cammy groaned.

"No one's leaving anywhere with how slow you're being. Come on, Kendall, just putt!"

"You left," Kendall told her mother.

"I'm your mother, Kendall. Please, don't ever forget that."

"I..."

"Kendall is okay?" Koda asked and waved his hand in front of her face. Her eyes seemed to be staring into the distance, but there was nothing Koda could see that would keep her attention for this long. Cammy tugged on her arm.

"Kendall, you're freaking us out!"

Kendall finally turned to her sister, then Koda. She looked to them for a moment before she picked up her ball and started to walk away.

"Finish without me."

"But..."

"There's something I need to do," Kendall called. "If I'm not back when you're done, there's an ice-cream place across the street. Have whatever you want."

Koda always carried emergency cash on him, Kendall was sure they would be fine until she could pick them up again. She also knew that in spite of having only eight holes left to complete, it would be a while before they were done putting.

She headed out to her car and got in before driving off. It wasn't a short trip, but since it was the middle of the day, traffic was light, and Kendall was able to make it in record time. Her car pulled up into the driveway of a cemetery and she stepped out.

"You left me!" she shouted as she approached one plot. "You made your decision, you left; you don't get to decide what I do after that!"

She read over her mother's name and remembered the day her mother was lowered into the ground. Kendall had been there with the Fishers right behind her. Already, in that day alone, they had done more to support her than her mother ever had.

"It doesn't matter how hard you tried," Kendall said. "It doesn't matter if you did the best you could. You left. I had to move on! If you didn't want me to forget about you, maybe you shouldn't have killed yourself! Maybe you should have stuck around, or been a better mom or... or..."

A flood of regret washed over Kendall as those words left her lips. Her mother had tried, though her attempts had been poor. In her care, Kendall was always fed, always sheltered and educated. It wasn't enough for a child – for Kendall – but it was something. Unlike her father, her mother had tried to do something. Kendall felt guilty for taking that away from her mother.

But her mother wasn't the mother she needed. Mrs. Fisher filled that role, in every way and more. Kendall wanted the Fishers to be her family. She wanted Mrs. Fisher to be her mother. She wished Mrs. Fisher had always been her mother.

Guilt consumed her again. She hated herself for wishing that.

Time passed. Kendall could feel it. The air was getting cooler, the sky was darker, and she could hear the traffic outside the cemetery picking up, meaning people were on their way home from work. Koda and Cammy had surely finished their game of mini-golf by now, and were probably wondering why she hadn't come back for them. Kendall hoped Cammy wasn't worried she had abandoned her too, but she also couldn't bring herself to move from where she stood. As more time passed, the sky grew even darker. Kendall still couldn't move.

A gentle hand touched her shoulder, startling her slightly. Kendall finally looked up and saw Mrs. Fisher standing next to her.

"We were all worried," she said.

"Koda and Cammy..."

"Jon's taking them home," Mrs. Fisher assured her. "They're more worried about you. They said you didn't look well when you took off."

"I'm sorry."

"Was today hard for you?"

Kendall didn't answer. Mrs. Fisher put her arm around her, "You know, some days are harder than others without reason. It's okay to just... miss her."

"I don't. I mean... I mean I don't miss her," Kendall said, then turned to Mrs. Fisher, "Is that bad?"

"No."

"Please don't lie to me."

"I'm not," Mrs. Fisher shook her head. "I'm a bit surprised, but I don't think it's bad."

"Really?"

"You feel the way you do," Mrs. Fisher said. "And given how she left things with you, I can't blame you for being glad it's over."

"She's still my mother."

"In blood."

"She's been my mother longer than you have," Kendall stated.

"For now," Mrs. Fisher nodded. "Next year, we'll be tied. The year after that, I'll take the lead."

Mrs, Fisher looked down at Mrs. Morgan's grave with a smile. She squeezed Kendall gently as she spoke.

"I'll take good care of her, Amy. You don't need to worry. Rest in peace."

"I don't think it's me she's worried about," Kendall said to her mother sadly. Mrs. Fisher turned to look at her.

"You don't?"

"You believe in the afterlife, right?"

"I believe something happens to your spirit," Mrs. Fisher nodded. "It can't just... stop. What's that science law? The energy one."

"Conservation of energy?"

"That," Mrs. Fisher smiled. "If you believe that spirits are energy, and energy can't be destroyed, then it makes sense to believe that when you die, that energy needs to go somewhere, right? Why do you ask?"

"Mom brought me here," Kendall answered, looking a little in disbelief of her own words. "Or, rather, hallucinations of her did."

"Hallucinations?" Mrs. Fisher placed her hand on her daughter's forehead. She didn't believe Kendall was ill, but needed to confirm. "You feel fine."

"I am," Kendall said.

"Have you been sleeping well?"

"Fine."

"Are you stressed?"

"I shouldn't be," Kendall shook her head. "Sledge is gone; he took Heckyl out with him. All ten energems and Rangers are safe. Everything is as it should be."

"But you're still feeling stressed? Is it the museum?"

"Strangely enough, the break has been... relaxing," Kendall nodded. "I never expected time away from the museum to calm me down."

"So... what's got you stressed out?" Mrs. Fisher asked and only after did she put all the pieces together. Kendall had come to her mother's grave, driven to it by a hallucination, only a short while after first referring to the Fishers as mom and dad. Mrs. Fisher would always remember that moment as a happy one, but always had to keep in mind that Kendall saw the world a little differently.

She knelt down on Mrs. Morgan's grave and touched the plaque with her name, "Amy, I love and care for your daughter very much. I don't want to replace you in Kendall's heart, but it would mean the world to me if you would give me your blessing to be mother Kendall needs now and forever."

Mrs. Fisher waited a short moment before giving her head a little nod and then rising back to her feet. She turned to Kendall, "We love you, Kendall. We love every part of you. You know that, right?"

"I do."

"Your father and I never want you to feel like there's a part of you you need to keep hidden from us. Your parents are a part of you. They played a role in making you who you are today. Your father and I are always going to respect that."

"I understand."

"I loved hearing you call me mom the other day," Mrs. Fisher continued. "But that's not a title I want to steal from your mother. It's a title I'm happy to share. You're welcome to have two mothers."

Kendall gave a little smile. Mrs. Fisher put her arm around her. As she held her in a hug, she heard her phone ring. When she answered it, she heard her husband on the other end.

"Everything's okay," he started. "We just need to make a quick stop at the hospital."

Everything's okay and hospital were two words that did not belong together in a mother's head. Mrs. Fisher immediately started to panic.

"What do you mean the hospital? Is Cammy okay?"

Hospital and Cammy were two words that did not belong together in Kendall's head. She snatched the phone from her mother and took over the conversation.

"Which hospital?"

"Kendall, honey, everything's okay," Mr. Fisher assured her. "It's just a minor accident."

"Which hospital?" Kendall repeated and was already digging through her bag to find her car keys. Mrs. Fisher was doing the same.

"Cammy's not hurt. We hit a cyclist. We're going to make sure she's okay. Can you pass the phone to your mother please?"

"Which hospital?"

"Angel Grove General," Mr. Fisher answered. It was all Kendall needed to hear. She tossed the phone to her mother and raced to her car. Mrs. Fisher received the same information from her husband and was quick to follow Kendall out of the cemetery.


	7. A Ranger Reunion

Mr. Fisher paced the waiting room floor of the hospital, desperately trying to remind himself that the important thing was everyone was still alive. He had only taken his eyes off the road for a couple of seconds to glance into the back seat. Cammy had been wondering why Kendall had left her and Koda on the mini-golf course and he wanted to let her know that everything would be okay.

He had been slowing down to stop at a stop sign. However, since his focus was elsewhere, he didn't see that he let his car go a little too far ahead and he hit a woman walking her bike across the street. Fortunately, she didn't seem hurt too badly, but he insisted on taking her to the hospital to be sure, especially once Koda and Cammy mentioned they knew her. Mr. Fisher hadn't yet asked how, too overwhelmed by the fact that he had hit someone with his car.

A woman rushed into the hospital while Mr. Fisher was mid-pace. She cut in front of him to reach the desk and demanded to see her daughter. Mr. Fisher didn't hear much of what she said until she mentioned her daughter's name.

"You must be Mrs. Goodall," he said and offered his hand somewhat nervously. He was speaking to the parent of the woman he hit, he wasn't sure he was going to receive a warm welcome once he introduced himself. Still, he offered his name and tried to be polite. He figured if it was him running in to see one of his children in the hospital, he would want an apology from whoever had sent them there.

"Moran-Goodall," she said to him with a frown. Before she could ask who he was, he introduced himself.

"I'm Jon Fisher. I'm the one who accidently hit your daughter," he added that word accident in there to get the point across quickly. This was unintentional and he had done everything he could up to this point to make it right. "She's okay, they're just making sure."

"Claire!" another woman's voice called and Claire faced the door. Mr. Fisher followed her gaze and saw another woman coming in, this time with a young girl in tow. "How is she?"

"I don't know," Claire shook her head and hugged the woman. Mr. Fisher let them have their quick reunion, but felt his stomach churn when he was introduced, "This is the guy who hit her."

"A complete accident," Mr. Fisher said once again. "I'm really sorry. She doesn't seem hurt, but I thought I'd bring her here, just to be safe."

"Where is she?" the woman asked.

"The doctors took her in for an x-ray. They said it wouldn't be long," Mr. Fisher explained.

Suddenly, the doors opened again. This time, when Mr. Fisher looked, he felt his life flash before his eyes. Two Silver Guardians walked in, neither looking very happy. He wasn't sure if this was an arrest able offense, but seeing them coming in, he knew he was in for trouble.

"Who do I have to kill?" the woman asked and Mr. Fisher was able to quickly read her name tag. She was officer Moran. He turned to Mrs. Moran-Goodall and thought this couldn't be a coincidence. He was in trouble for sure.

"Gia, relax," her partner said. "I'm sure it was an accident."

Mr. Fisher liked him a little more already. He seemed sensible. He was still nervous, but he did know the right thing to do. He walked over to the Silver Guardians and started to explain what happened. He told them how he had only taken his eyes off the road for a second to look to his daughter when he hit the woman on her bike.

"Is she okay?" the male officer asked. Mr. Fisher nodded his head.

"Last I saw she was. This was just to be safe. I have my license, my insurance, everything you need in my car if you want to..."

"We're not looking to press charges."

"I am," Gia frowned. Her partner nudged her.

"Gia, its Emma's choice."

"She's too soft."

"She's got to balance you out," he chuckled then turned to Mr. Fisher, "You're lucky she didn't bring her cat."

It was at this point that Cammy and Koda returned from their search for a snack, so Mr. Fisher didn't get to ask what the officer meant by cat. As soon as Cammy walked into the room and saw the new faces, she smiled, dropped her bag of chips and raced to Gia. Mr. Fisher was completely baffled now as he watched his daughter jump into the Guardian's arms and hug her tight. How was it his daughter knew more people in this city than he did. She was only nine and wasn't allowed to be outside after dark, never mind travel to whole other cities by herself.

"Cammy? What are you doing here?" Gia asked her. Cammy sighed.

"My dad hit Emma with her car."

"Your dad?"

Cammy nodded and pointed to Mr. Fisher, "It was an accident. Are you going to arrest him?"

"Not this time," Gia shook her head and put Cammy down. Vanessa, who had been with Claire trying to get information about Emma from the nurses came over, this time introducing herself properly.

"I'm Vanessa, that's my wife Claire, our daughter Gia, Emma's fiancé Jordan and this is Ryan," she said and gestured to the little girl in her arms.

"I'm Jon, and I'd just like to say I am so sorry..."

"As long as Emma's okay and it was an accident," Vanessa said, though Claire and Gia seemed to grumble a little bit. Mr. Fisher gave a nod, indicating that this was all just one big accident.

"I really am usually a lot more careful. "It was just one second and..."

"Is she going to be okay?" Vanessa interrupted him. Mr Fisher nodded.

"Yes. I really think so."

"Would you like to stay with us?" Vanessa offered. Mr. Fisher nodded again.

"If it's alright, I'd like to see for myself that she's okay," he took a seat opposite of the mothers, then switched his focus over to where Gia and Jordan were going to sit and saw them make their way over to the set of chairs that Koda and Cammy had chosen. When Koda looked happy to see the two Guardians, Mr. Fisher couldn't help but wonder if they had all met before.

After a few more moments of waiting, another family walked into the hospital. Mr. Fisher was happy to see this time it was his own. Kendall and his wife walked through the doors, quickly scanning the room to find him. He waved them both over. Mrs. Fisher came without a second though. Kendall's steps slowed as she seemed to recognize the Moran-Goodall family.

"Claire? Vanessa?"

"Dino Lady!" young Ryan called out and pointed to Kendall. "You're Dino Lady!"

"I am," Kendall nodded, then turned to her father, "Who did you hit?"

"He hit Emma," Cammy said and made her way over to Kendall. She didn't run and greet her sister like she had done with Gia. Instead, she walked over with a glare and her arms crossed over her chest, "You left us!"

"Cammy, we're not talking about this now," Mrs. Fisher redirected the young girl. "Who is Emma?"

"The girl Jon hit," Cammy said. "She's the pink Ranger."

Kendall sighed deeply and shook her head. It wasn't really a secret to anyone in the room who the identities of the Rangers were, but Cammy did need to learn when it was safe to blurt out something like that and when it needed to be whispered. Claire and Vanessa both looked around the room, trying to see who had heard Cammy. While it had become public knowledge who the Megaforce Rangers were, a lot of attention had been taken off them once the Dino Rangers showed up, and now they were able to blend in a lot more. They didn't need that attention focused back on them.

Mr. and Mrs. Fisher seemed very confused for a moment. They knew Shelby was the pink Ranger, so Cammy's statement didn't make any sense until they recalled there had been other Ranger teams before the Dino Charge Rangers.

"What are the odds?" Mrs. Fisher chuckled.

"Why don't we take this conversation somewhere a little more... private?" Gia suggested as she came over. She took Ryan from her mother's arms then walked over to the nurse behind the desk. "Excuse me; my sister's getting a little sleepy. It's almost past her bedtime. Is there anywhere we can stay that is guaranteed to be a little more private until we hear about Emma?"

The nurse nodded and directed Gia to a private room. The Fishers and the Moran-Goodalls made their way down in order to be able to properly introduce themselves.


	8. Past Mistakes Solve Current Issues

As Emma was brought out to the waiting room, sporting only a bandage for her sprained wrist, as well as a massive bruise where the car had hit her, she recognized a couple of familiar faces waiting for her: Jordan, as she expected, and Mr. Fisher, the man who had hit her. Jordan looked happy to see her, especially since she wasn't badly hurt, and made his way over to give her a kiss and a hug. Mr. Fisher looked very guilty and apologetic over what happened, despite Emma's many assurances in the car on the way over that everything was okay.

Initially she had been frustrated with him. Many years of being a cyclist meant Emma had seen the worst of drivers. Some had forced her off the road, many had almost knocked her right off her bike at full speed. If she had to finally be injured by a car, she was glad that at least this one was slowing down. She also assured Mr. Fisher she knew he hadn't meant any harm. She had taken her eyes off the road to tend to Joe many times, and knew that each of those times, she was lucky nothing had happened. Gia and Jordan sometimes had full days heading to accident scenes only to find out the driver who caused them had only looked away for a second.

"It could have happened to anyone," she assured Mr. Fisher again. "Honestly, I'm just glad you offered to help me out."

"Still, I feel really terrible," Mr. Fisher said. "If there's anything I can do, please, just name it."

"Just be more careful next time," Emma said before smiling up at Jordan, "I can go home. The doctor's say there's nothing that won't heal up on its own. I just need to take it easy for a couple of days."

"My insurance will pay for your time off work," Mr. Fisher chimed in. "I'll make sure you're covered for that..."

"Mr. Fisher, really, it's okay," Emma smiled; glad to see he wanted to help, even if it wasn't necessary. "My bosses are my fiancé and best friend, and their boss is another friend and rich. I'll be covered while I'm away. It's no trouble."

Mr. Fisher nodded his head but still felt like there was something he should do to help out. It had been nothing but luck that this accident hadn't been worst. He was ready to accept the consequences of that.

"At least let me take you back to your mothers' house," he offered. "I promise, I'll keep my eyes on the road the whole way there."

"Your mothers are waiting for us there," Jordan said to Emma. "Cammy, Kendall and Koda are there too. They all want to see you're okay."

"That sounds good," Emma smiled.

-Dino-Charge-

At the Moran-Goodall home, Kendall found herself upstairs, helping Cammy get settled on a small mat for bed. Since it was getting late, and Jordan had only just called to say they were on their way with Emma, Vanessa and Claire had offered to let the Fishers spend the night, certain they would all want to be sure Emma was okay.

While Kendall helped Cammy set up her mattress just right, Claire was running through her usual bedtime routine with Ryan. Kendall couldn't help but watch and listen as Ryan was read one story, chose which bear to sleep with for that night, and then spent about ten minutes on the phone talking about her day to her brother and sister.

Kendall was aware of the unconventional family in the Moran-Goodall household. They were about as blended as any family could get, yet the purple Ranger found she had to remind herself again that very few of their bonds were forged with blood. Only Vanessa and Gia, and Claire and Emma were biologically related to each other. Vanessa had long ago taken Emma into her home with her late husband, happily choosing to raise her as their daughter. Claire, a long time family friend, only realized the value of motherhood late into her daughter's life and was fortunate enough to get a second chance after Joe's passing, when she returned to the Morans to try and help out. Overtime she and Vanessa fell in love and the family came together. Vanessa was just as much a mother to Emma as her other mother was, and the same could be said about Claire and Gia.

Ryan joined the family later, when her brother and guardian realized he wasn't in a place where he could offer her the home and family she deserved. He trusted his sister's care to Vanessa and Claire until he could be more for Ryan, which was essentially how the foster care system worked. However, Kendall had learned that since Ryan had been so young, she had bonded to her mothers deeply. Troy and his sister Rebecca had a tough decision to make, but ultimately wanting the best for their little sister, decided to let the mothers continue to raise her under the condition that they would always be an important part of her life.

Kendall knew all this because it had fascinated her when she first met Gia, Emma and Ryan to see a non-traditional family come together. She wanted what the Moran-Goodalls had and yet, even with her loving Fisher family, she still felt like the Moran-Goodalls had something she was missing.

"Kendall!" Cammy called her name, frustrate that yet again Kendall's focus seemed to be elsewhere. When Kendall looked down, Cammy frowned, "How am I supposed to sleep without Plesio?"

Kendall looked around, unsure of what to do. Because this hadn't been a planned sleepover, none of them had what they would need for the night. For Kendall, it would just mean borrowing a pair of pyjamas. For Cammy, it meant having to sleep in a strange room, in a new home, without Plesio to keep her company.

"Here," Ryan crawled out of her bed and grabbed one of her extra toys, a stuffed tiger. She offered it to Cammy. "This LT. You sleep with him."

"It's not Plesio," Cammy looked to Kendall with worry. Kendall accepted LT from Ryan and offered it to Cammy.

"Plesio misses you too, but I think she would be happy to know that there's this guy to keep you safe for tonight," Kendal smiled. "And I'll be right over in the next room."

"What about Koda?"

"He'll be... I don't know where he'd be most comfortable yet, but he'll be in the house, I promise you."

"Okay," Cammy took LT and smiled half-heartedly to Ryan. "Thank you."

"Welcome," Ryan said and crawled back into bed. Claire tucked her in and then with Kendall she headed to the door, turned down the lights and walked out.

"I couldn't help but notice," Claire began, looking to Kendall, "you were really watching Ryan back there. Is everything alright?"

"Excuse me?"

"Ryan, while she was on the phone with Troy and Rebecca. You seemed pretty fascinated. Is everything alright with you?"

Kendall shrugged her shoulders. She had a very helpful talk with her mother back at the cemetery. It had helped her come to terms with how she was feeling for the most part. Still, something felt off. Claire stopped at the top of the stairs and Kendall stopped with her. She leaned against the railing.

"It's just... it's been a tough day."

"I heard Cammy mention something about meeting her dad. Did it not go well?" Claire asked. "Things between Emma and I started off very rocky. It was hard on us both for a while."

"Cammy did really well meeting her dad," Kendall shook her head. "She's pretty strong."

"She's got a lot of support there," Claire said. "It makes all the difference. But if that's not what's on your mind, then what is?"

Kendall shrugged her shoulders. She knew Claire and her family's stories, and she had taken Cammy to talk with them once, but she didn't know the Moran-Goodalls all that well. Definitely not enough to what to share her feelings.

"Come on, sweetheart," Claire nudged Kendall a bit, "If its judgement you're worried about, you really shouldn't be. I may seem like a good mom now, but it took me an embarrassingly long time to figure all this out. I have a full grown daughter, and Ryan is the first one I'm raising. I don't judge people."

Her words were a bit comforting to Kendall.

"I know Vanessa took Emma in," Kendall said. "How did it feel knowing there was someone else looking after your daughter?"

"At what point?" Claire asked. "Growing up, I spent more time dumping Emma on Vanessa and Joe than I did actually trying to raise her myself. If you're asking about when Vanessa and Joe took the decision out of my hand that's a different answer."

"They took her?"

"Well, I let her go," Claire admitted, "but only because Vanessa had managed to convince me I was a terrible mom. Emma was better off with them."

"How did you feel?"

"Honestly, I think that was the first time I truly realized how badly I messed up," Claire said. "I was hurt and embarrassed. I spent all that time calling myself a mother, yet I didn't know the first thing about looking after my daughter."

Hurt and embarrassed were not the words Kendall wanted to hear. Though she didn't believe in the afterlife herself, she couldn't stop herself from feeling like her mother could see what she was doing and it pained her to think that her mother might feel hurt and embarrassed by her actions.

"Truth be told, though," Claire continued, "As much as it hurt, I was still really glad that someone stepped up for Emma. I didn't show it much for her growing up, but I did really love her. I wanted the best for her, even if it wasn't me. It's why I let Vanessa and Joe take her in. I realized even though I'm her mother, I'm not what's best for her."

"But you came back?"

"Joe died," Claire nodded. "I had to be there for Vanessa and for the girls. I had to do what I could to make their lives a little easier. And I hoped, now that I was ready, the girls would let me back into their lives. It was a hard fight, and I don't know which of them gave me a harder time, but I was ready to tackle whatever they threw my way. I'm really lucky they were willing to take me back."

"So it's in the past?"

"Not really," Claire shook her head. "There's always going to be scars because of what happened, because of the choices I made. To this day, I think Emma still sees Vanessa as her primary mother – the one she can trust to stick around, who gives the best advice, and who has the answers to everything."

"Does it hurt?"

"Every time," Claire nodded. "But it's like I said, I wanted the best for her, and I still do. As long as Emma has what she needs, I'm happy. As long as all three of my girls have what they need, that's what's important. Why do you ask?"

"I've just... I've been having... nightmares that my mom isn't happy to see I've got a new family," Kendall said. "I guess with Cammy meeting her dad today and hearing what he's got to say about our parents, I've just... started wondering what my mom would think about all of this."

"She drank, right?"

"To death," Kendall nodded. "It's how I ended up with the Fishers."

"Did she still love you?" Claire asked. "Even if she had a funny way of showing it?"

"I'd like to think so," Kendall answered. Claire smiled.

"Then she'll want the best for you," she assured Kendall. "Even if it isn't her, she'll be happy you've found the family you need."

"And if that's not true."

"There's only two reasons that wouldn't be true," Claire stated, "The first being, she didn't care for you, in which case, she couldn't be bothered knowing who was looking after you and you're better off moving on from her and embracing the family, the mother, you have now."

"And the second?"

"She's jealous, petty, and would take it out on you, in which case, you're still better off moving on and embracing the family you have now. And I know neither of those are comforting answers but if she truly doesn't care, of if she's petty, she wasn't your mother in the first place."

It was a bit of a tough pill to swallow. No child, no matter how old, liked to hear that their was a chance their mother didn't care for them. Kendall did, however, appreciate the honest truth from Claire. She knew the pink Ranger's mother was right.

"Your mother is a big girl," Claire added. "Don't hurt yourself trying to make her feel better, especially if she didn't stick around long enough to make sure things would get better for you."

Kendall nodded her head and smiled. She thanked Claire just before the front door opened and Emma was home.


	9. 3 Am Conversations

Emma couldn't sleep. She couldn't find a position where her wrist wasn't hurting and her bruise wasn't sore that would be comfortable long enough for her to fall asleep. She assumed this would be her struggle for the following nights until her injuries were a little better.

Since she was getting nowhere trying to sleep, she pulled herself out of bed and made her way downstairs. A warm glass of milk might help, and at the very least she could sit in front of the TV until morning came.

She thought she would be alone as she walked into the kitchen but was glad to see another face. Kendall was up, watching the coffee maker, waiting for it to make her a cup of coffee.

"You've really given up," Emma chuckled. "Coffee at three in the morning?"

"It can't make me anymore awake," Kendall nodded her head. "I think my sleep schedule is still adjusting from those Ranger days."

"Took me a while too," Emma said. "And we didn't even have too many night battles."

"Neither did we, but someone had to make the weapons and chargers."

"That is impressive," Emma smiled. "I don't know where any of our stuff came from. Gosei was a complete mystery on that."

Emma poured herself a glass of milk and stuck it in the microwave. As she waited for the milk to warm, she glanced back at Kendall, "Speaking of Ranger days, any reminders for how to sleep with sprains and bruises? Apparently, that's something a body forgets."

"You don't," Kendall told her and Emma nodded her head with a little laugh.

"That's right," Emma said as the microwaves beeped, letting her know her milk was warm. She took it out, stirred it quickly with a spoon then brought it over to the table. "So, I hear your final battle went well."

"It went well?"

"You didn't destroy a whole city," Emma said. "Harwood is still in the process of rebuilding after the mess our final battle left. I hear in Amber Beach, the damage was contained to just one part."

"My museum," Kendall said with a little sigh. Emma immediately regretted bringing up the matter. While it was a good thing that the city remained intact, she had to think Kendall wasn't too happy to know that her business and life's work had been completely lost.

"I'm really sorry. Any plans for a rebuild?"

"Most of the artifacts were lost," Kendall said. "I may be able to get a few donations, but I'd be working from the ground up if I wanted to rebuild a dinosaur museum."

"What about another kind of museum?" Emma asked. "Does it have to be dinosaurs?"

"That's my field of expertise," Kendall said. "I'd have to study something entirely new in order to be sure that the information I provide is up to date and accurate."

"Dinosaurs aren't the only thing you're good at," Emma chuckled with a shake of her head. "You just told me you basically built all of the Rangers weapons by yourself. Even Noah couldn't do that, and he's pretty good with technology. You could open a Ranger museum. The first ever."

"You sound like Chase."

"It's not really a crazy idea, though," Emma pointed out. "Think about it, enough of us have revealed our identities that you could easily explain how you got so many of your displays, and for the most part, people are still fascinated by the Rangers. They'd love to know all that happens behind the scenes. My team alone has so many keys and morphers and weapons that we could donate. Of course, you'd have to make replicas for the displays. We like to keep our powers close to us, just in case we're needed. Especially Gia and Troy."

Kendall nodded her head. Chase had already presented this idea and while she had her doubts, it didn't seem much crazier than any other kind of museum. Especially since it would be the first of its kind. There were thousands of natural history museums in the country and many, many more around the world. A Power Ranger museum would be unique, drawing in people from a lot farther than the borders of Amber Beach. It all went well, she would see a return of her regular guests and more much sooner than she could expect by reviving the dinosaur museum.

She also liked Emma's idea of replicas. The real Ranger weapons would be too dangerous to keep in one location and she doubts many Rangers would be happy giving up their powers for a display case. By displaying replicas, the public would still get a look at what the Rangers used in battles, and Kendall could spent time in her lab once again building – a hobby she found she missed now that her team no longer had a need for Chargers and blasters in their regular lives.

"Is that all that's keeping you up?" Emma asked. "What to do with the museum?"

Kendall shrugged her shoulders. At the same time, Ryan walked into the kitchen, hugging her bear to her chest. She saw Emma sitting at the table and rushed to her, jumping up into her lap.

"I can't sleep," she told her sister.

"Join the club," Emma chuckled. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Ryan nodded her head and set her bear on the table, "Fuzzy did."

"He did, huh?"

"Yeah. Monsters hurted him again."

"Is Fuzzy okay?"

"He's scared," Ryan admitted. Emma nodded.

"I'd be scared too if I had a bad dream like that. But you know everything's okay now, right?"

Ryan shrugged and pulled her bear back into her arms. Emma held her sister close and then looked to Kendall.

"Any advice?" she asked. "Ryan's been having these dreams for a while. We think it might be her remembering what happened."

"What happened?"

"Vrak blew up her house," Emma explained, lowering her voice so Ryan wouldn't hear. Fortunately, the little girl was focused on Emma's glass of warm milk and seemed to be debating whether or not she should take a sip. "She was inside with her parents when it happened."

"Wow..."

"She made it, luckily. Gia found her and brought her back to the base. There was hardly a scratch on her all things considered. We thought since she was so young when it happened, and so young when we were all Rangers that she wouldn't remember a thing. We're still trying to decide when and how we'll tell her she's adopted. Any advice?"

"I knew I was adopted," Kendall shook her head. Emma chuckled.

"We're pretty sure we can figure out that part. I was asking more for... well, the nightmares and stuff. Cammy mentioned today that she got to meet her birth father and, well, I guess we're just wondering what to do for Ryan since that's not really much of an option. What do we do when she asks where her parents are?"

"Tell her the truth," Kendall stated without thinking. One thing she always appreciated from people, even if she didn't show or feel it at the time, was the truth. It had killed her to hear from her social worker that one day she would be adopted, and never seeing that day come until just recently. It killed her to be filled with hopes and lies when all she wanted was the truth. She was curious by nature, and always had been. If she asked questions, she wanted answers.

"I guess that's obvious," Emma nodded. She looked down at Ryan, who had decided to take a sip of Emma's warm milk and was now offering some to her bear, insisting it would make him feel better. Emma brushed her hair out of her eyes. "You don't think it'll hurt her to hear what happened?"

"She'll find out eventually," Kendall pointed out.

"I just wish she had the same choice as Cammy," Emma stated. "I mean, if her parents were still around, we wouldn't be having this conversation but... all kids deserve to know where they come from, right?"

"They do," Kendall nodded her head.

"Is there any way we can help her see it's where she's going that's important? Do you think that might help her once she learns the truth?"

Kendall took a minute to think. This was the question she was currently tackling herself. She wished she could meet her mother again and ask her about her life. She wished she could get answers to the many questions floating around inside her head. But as Kendall looked to Ryan, and saw the way her sister was caring for her so tenderly as she started to drift off to sleep, she couldn't help but think Ryan's parents would be happy for their daughter that she had found a good home.

Cammy's father was also happy that his daughter had loving and supportive parents. She started to think maybe it wasn't such a stretch to believe her own mother would be happy for her. It's what Mrs. Fisher had said, as well as Mrs. Goodall. It's what she wished for Cammy should anything happen to her and their parents.

"I can take her to bed," Kendall offered as she scooped the little girl into her arms. Ryan melted into her arms, her little head tucked comfortably in Kendall's shoulder.

"Still want that coffee?" Emma asked. "I can pour you a cup."

"I think I'll be okay for tonight," Kendall said with a smile.


	10. The Ranger Museum

Kendall never expected Ranger life to be so... chaotic.

Only a few months after stopping Sledge and all the other monsters he had brought down to Earth, Kendall had the museum rebuilt. It was nowhere near its past glory, but she had enough of it up and running that she could hire back a few of her old employees. Taking Emma's advice, and the advice first given to her by Chase, she ditched the dinosaurs for now and created displays on the Power Rangers.

It was a long line of heroes that until now were only honoured on TV news. Since most teams preferred anonymity, no one had ever thought of trying to open up a museum dedicated to them. Kendall herself had at first believed the idea to be farfetched, almost completely dismissing it when Chase brought it up before his visit to New Zealand. She doubted any of the past Rangers would be in favour of having their lives tucked away behind glass for people to ogle. But when Emma brought it up as well a few weeks after that, Kendall had to think maybe it wasn't too crazy.

She contacted Tommy Oliver and ran the idea past him. He seemed intrigued at the concept of a Ranger museum and told Kendall he would get back to her after reaching out to other former Rangers. Before Kendall knew it, blueprints for old weapons and some battle gear that was no longer needed were being sent to the museum address. She spent the next couple of weeks building Rangers' weapons from the blueprints she was sent and setting up displays to honour the heroes who came before her, doing her best to organize the museum to keep Ranger teams together.

Finally, it was the grand re-opening of the museum. Kendall would miss the dinosaurs and did have plans on using a wing of the museum to bring back her passion, but she also found this was going to be a new adventure.

"The line up is huge," Cammy stated, looking out the front doors. She turned around, smiling to her friends. "I think people are going to be excited."

"I'm not surprised," Chase smirked as he adjusted his name tag, the picture of the Parasaurolophus removed so that the tag was simply his name in white on black. "This is a fantastic idea."

"And if people ask how we got all this stuff?"

"The Rangers donated it to make up for trashing the museum," Chase and Cammy both answered Kendall at once. "And they did so anonymously."

"Good," Kendall smiled. "Don't start letting people in just yet. I just need five more minutes to make sure everything is perfect."

As Kendall walked off, Cammy turned back to the front doors, eyeing the crowd with excitement. She missed having the museum around and was looking forward to being able to visit and help her sister at work after school.

Cammy didn't get to watch the crowd for long as she heard Chase whispering her name. She turned around and saw the black Ranger calling her over to the ticket counter. She made her way over and leaned across the counter.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Uh huh," Cammy nodded. Chase opened up his sweater pocket and took out a little black box. Cammy looked to it curiously. "Is that a present for Kendall?"

"Kinda," Chase answered. He opened the box, revealing a ring, "What do you think?"

"It's pretty," Cammy smiled. Suddenly her eyes widened as the significance of the ring hit her, "Wait! Is that an..."

Chase nodded his head then covered Cammy's mouth before she could let out an excited squeal, which would be sure to draw Kendall over.

"What do you think?" he asked Cammy when she was able to calm down enough. "Do you think she'll say yes?"

Cammy nodded her head and smiled brightly.

-Dino-Charge-

Kendall made her way through the museum, checking up on her employees, making sure everyone was ready for the crowd to come in. The museum was going to get busy and it would be difficult for everyone to get in touch should something occur.

"Kendall, we've got this," Tyler assured her with a laugh. He was glad to be back working in the museum, even if it wasn't where he thought he would end up. Still, he didn't have many other places to go. His father had retired from travelling now that he was back at home with his wife. This meant if Tyler wanted to travel, he needed to find his own way of doing it. Saving up enough money to go around the country looking for adventure started with getting a job. Since Kendall was only too happy to offer, he was happy to accept.

Besides, he didn't want to leave for his travels just yet. He wanted to wait until Shelby finished up with her classes. He wanted to take her with him and they could search for fossils together.

"I talk about blue Rangers," Koda confirmed with Kendall. "But not tell anyone I blue Ranger."

"Exactly."

"Then, how I know so much?"

"You don't," Kendall said, to which Koda scratched his head. She pointed to the cards she gave him, "You only know what's written here."

"I do?"

"Yes."

"I miss burgers," Koda sighed.

"I know, Koda. I promise, as soon as I've got the money for it, I'll reopen the cafe."

"A Ranger Cafe?" Riley asked, coming through with the last big cardboard display board they needed to help direct guests.

"Considering the Mighty Morphin Rangers and our team had side by side displays near where the old cafe used to be, I figure it wouldn't be too crazy to open up the Dino Cafe once again."

"Not a bad idea," Tyler smirked. Kendall nodded her head, asked her friends one last time if they were ready to open then signaled to Chase over the walkie-talkies to let the crowd in.

-Dino-Charge-

Mrs. Fisher couldn't attend the first few hours of the reopening of the museum, but did make it down eventually to support her daughter. She was happy with the turnout, thinking it inspired hope for the future of the museum.

"Excuse me," she said, cutting through a couple of kids who were standing it awe in front of what looked like the display for the Ninja Storm Rangers. Mrs. Fisher wasn't quite sure of all the Ranger team names just yet.

Eventually, she found Kendall in all the chaos, sharing what she knew about the Dino Thunder team to the group that was more than happy to listen. When she saw her mother, Kendall stopped her speech, called Riley over to continue for her and pushed her way through the crowd.

"Mom, you made it!"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Mrs. Fisher smiled and hugged her daughter tight.

"Where's dad?"

"He got held up," Mrs. Fisher shrugged and pointed somewhere to the front of the museum. "He bumped into Chase who asked to speak with him quickly."

"About what?"

"I'm not sure. I went on ahead. I couldn't wait to see what you've done with the place."

"It's great, isn't it?" Kendall smiled. "Everyone seems to love the idea. And I've got former Rangers contacting me saying they'd be more than happy to continue helping down the road."

"You've done well," Mrs. Fisher assured her daughter. "Mind if I check the place out?"

"Absolutely," Kendall nodded her head and let her mother go. Finally, she had a moment to herself to look around at the museum. She glanced over to Riley and smiled as she watched him fascinate the crowd with his knowledge of the Dino Thunder team. She was very glad to have him back at the museum, though she was sure he was happier to be back in the city. As much as he loved his family back home, she knew the country life didn't suit him. She had offered him a job here at the museum, but promised flexible hours so that he could return home and see his mother and brother whenever he wanted. Riley was only too happy to accept.

She switched her gaze over to Tyler, who was the happiest she had ever seen him. Considering Tyler was the most optimistic of the group, that spoke volumes to how well he was doing now. He enjoyed having both his parents home, in spite of the initial trouble it caused when he and his father had to explain to his mother what they had been up to.

She laughed as she watched Koda read off the cue-cards she had providing him. He still seemed baffled as to why he needed to be told what he knew about his own team, but trusted her immensely and did as he was asked.

Kendall liked that feeling. Koda trusted her. He always had – from the moment she rescued him from the lab years before, he had been her best friend. But finally now she was able to appreciate exactly what that meant. He had faith in her, faith that she wouldn't steer him in the wrong direction and faith that she was a good person.

Lots of people now had faith in Kendall. They believed in her, in her ability to do right by others and in her ability to do right by herself.

It seemed odd to her know that she had once been alone. It seemed completely out of her character for her to rely only on herself and push other people away. Her friends had done nothing but good, and even in the times they had made mistakes and caused her pain, they had only been acting with the best of intentions. She couldn't imagine her life without any of her friends.

She also couldn't imagine her life without her family. She had finally allowed herself to be completely open with the people who loved her most in the world. While she would forever be upset with her father, and while she would always be hurt her mother had taken her own life, she was glad that her life had turned out the way it did.

As she walked over to the Dino Charge display, she couldn't help but look to both Sledge and Heckyl cut-outs. In a way, she had them to thank. Had they not threatened the safety of the planet and forced the energems to have to choose her and nine other strangers, she never would have had the life she had now.

"Kendall!" Chase called out to her, making his way through the crowd and then taking her by the hand, "Mind if we speak in private for a minute?"

"About?"

"Something," Chase said and Kendall rolled her eyes at his response, but followed him anyways. She really couldn't imagine where she would have ended up without Chase. He was one of the first to see this person hiding inside the shell she used to be and he fought hard to pull her out. He was definitely one of the best things to happen to her.

As he whisked her away, Cammy watched from a distance, hiding from the crowd up on one of the Megazord displays. Though she had also done a lot of growing since meeting the Rangers, she was still quite small. In a crowd of this size, she was easily pushed around.

"Hey kid, you okay?" an older girl called out to her and Cammy looked down.

"I'm just hiding."

"From what?"

Cammy gestured to the crowd of people. The girl laughed.

"It is a bit busy in here," she agreed. "So, you don't want a hand down?"

Cammy started to shake her head, but then looked to the ground and realized it was a lot easy to climb up the Megazord than it would be to get back down. Initially she thought she might wait for one of the Rangers to help her out but seeing how busy they all were, it occurred to her she might be trapped for a while.

"Uh, maybe."

"No problem," the girl said and reached into the bag she carried on her back. Cammy watched as she pulled out something that looked a bit like Chase's skateboard, but when she dropped it, it didn't hit the ground. The girl stood on it and it held her weight.

"Whoa!"

"Neat, huh?" the girl smiled while the board lifted her up into the air, bringing her up to Cammy's height. "Hope on. It's safe."

"Are you sure?"

"Mostly."

Cammy hesitantly shifted off the top of the Megazord and planted her feet on the floating board. The older girl held onto her arms as the board started to lower. Just before they reached the ground though, the board started to shake and then suddenly gave out. Fortunately, it wasn't too far a fall.

"Sorry about that. I have some adjustments to make, I guess. Are you okay?"

Cammy picked herself up and brushed herself off. She nodded her head, "Yeah. What about you?"

"I'm fine," the girl said. "So, do you need any help finding your parents?"

"No. My sister works here. I know where everything is."

"So, do you know where the washroom is?"

"Yeah. It's past the ninjas."

"Ninjas, got it," the girl smiled then offered her hand to Cammy, "Sarah, by the way."

"Cammy."

 _The End. Stay tune for Ninja Steel!_


End file.
